Dudu Pukwana grew up studying piano in his family but in 1956, he switched to alto sax after meeting tenor sax player Nick Moyake. In 1962, he won first prize at the Johannesburg Jazz Festival with Moyake's Jazz Giants (1962 Gallo/Teal).
Chris McGregor then invited him to join
the Blue Notes; the interracial sextet, increasingly harassed by authorities, went into exile in 1964, playing in France, Zurich, and London.
Pukwana's fiery voice was heard not only in
the Blue Notes and in
McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, but in many diverse settings ranging from
the Incredible String Band to improvising with
Misha Mengelberg and
Han Bennink (Yi Yo Le, ICP 1978). As a composer,
Pukwana wrote "Mra," one of the best-loved tunes by the Brotherhood. His own groups,
Assagai and
Spear, which recorded a few albums in the early '70s, blended kwela rhythms, rocking guitars, and jazz solos. With
Mongezi Feza,
Elton Dean,
Keith Tippett, and
Louis Moholo,
Pukwana recorded two masterful acoustic tracks on the mostly electric album
Diamond Express (Freedom 1977). His presence was also hugely felt in
Moholo's Spirits Rejoice!, and in
Harry Miller's Isipingo. Several African leaders invited him into their groups, including
Hugh Masekela and trombonist
Jonas Gwangwa's African Explosion (Who, Ngubani 1969). In 1978,
Pukwana founded Jika Records and formed his own band, Zila, featuring South Africans
Lucky Ranku on guitar and powerful vocalist Miss Pinise Saul. Zila recorded Zila Sounds (1981), Live in Bracknell and Willisau (1983), and Zila (1986), the last with keyboardist
Django Bates and
Pukwana increasingly using soprano sax. In duo with
John Stevens, he recorded the free session They Shoot to Kill (Affinity 1987), dedicated to
Johnny Dyani.
Dudu Pukwana died of liver failure in June 1990. ~ Francesco Martinelli